Academic Achievement in Home School Education.

There is little empirical evidence that home-school education is as academically effective as traditional education, or that average and above-average academic achievement is sustained through high school. A sample of 110 home-schooled students (59 males, 51 females, ages 5 years 3 months to 19 years 6 months) were administered the Woodcock-Johnson-Revised Tests of Achievement. In addition, a longitudinal study was conducted of 46 of these students who were given the test 2 or more years over the 6-year span of the study. Both male and female home-schooled students scored at or above the 50th percentile on all clusters of subtests. However, measures of academic achievement over time revealed that the students' performance declined with increasing grade level. The effectiveness of home-school education related to parental education and preparation for high-school level courses is discussed. (DFR)